Car-coupling



(No Model.)

B. F. LONG. OAR COUPLING.

No. 449,224. Patented Max: 31, 1891.

UNITE STATES PATENT ()rrrcn.

EUGENE F. LONG, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,224, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed January 13, 1891. Serial No. 377,637. (No model.)

To cnZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE F. LONG, a citiaen of the United States, residing at Scranton, 1n the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to car-couplings; and the object of the same is to effect certain improvements therein.

To this end the invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the sheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of two drawheads of my improved construction about to be coupled together, the cars carrying these draw-heads being a platform and boxcar, and slightly in perspective, and respectively showing the devices for operating the hooks. Fig. 2 is a section through the draw-heads alone, showing the manner in which the hooks engage when they stand in the samehorizontal plane. Fig. 3 is a similar section at different planes. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing one device for moving the hook-raiser. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view showing another device. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one of my improved draw-heads in its normal position.

Referring to the said drawings; the letters 0 designate the cars, and D are the draw heads mounted thereon, as usual. iVithin each draw-head is pivoted a swinging hook H, whose upper end is shaped to form a catch K, adapted to engage the hook proper of the other swinging hook, and the bottom of the draw-head is cut away, as at A, to allow the hooks to fall to a vertical position. Arranged below the draw-head is a hook-lifter L of ap proximately L-shaped configuration, which when raised bears at its tip beneath the hook and raises the same, so as to disengage its catch from the other hook to causean uncoupling of the cars ort0 raise its point to guide it into another draw-head and cause the coupling of the cars.

At the right hand of Fig. 1 is shown a boxcar, and mounted in eyes I, at the lower end thereof, is a transverse bar R, to which the hook-lifter L is connected. The end of this bar is bent forwardly, as at F, and then downwardly, as at (I. The letter V designates a Vertical rod, turning in eyes on the ends of the car and having a horizontal elbow E at its lower end. The upper end of this red is provided with an operating handle or wheel 0, and it extends to the top of the box-car, as shown. hen the handle 0 is operated, the elbow E is forced beneath the forwardly-bent portion F, the bar R is turned in the eyes I, and the lifter L is raised so as to lift the hook, its outer end striking said hook forward of the latters horizontal pivot Pin the drawhead. Thus the hook can be operated from the top of the car or from a position at either side thereof.

In Fig. l is shown a transverse bar T, which passes beneath the draw-head and beneath the lifter L, thelatter in this case being hinged to the draw-head. G G are elongated guides carried by the car and in which the transverse bar T slides, the latter having pins 25 to prevent its longitudinal displacement. In this case the elbow E of the vertical rod V carries at its free end a sleeve M, which embraces and slides upon the bar T. Hence when the handle 0 is turned the elbow and the sleeve cause the bar T to be moved within the guides and to pass beneath the lifter L. The ends of the bar may also have handles 71., whereby the same may be operated by a person standing on the track at the side of the car. The vertical rod V may in some cases be entirely omitted and the transverse bar T Operated by its handles only.

In Fig. 5 a slightly-different construction is shown. In this case a longitudinal bar U slides in guides G beneath the car-body, and T T are sections of a transverse bar, each of which has a handle h at its outer end, is pivoted between its ends, as at t, to the car-body, and extends at its inner ends through a staple Y in the bar U. In this case the elbow E also has a sleeve M, which embraces one of the sections T, and hence when the vertical rod V is turned or when either of the handles h is operated, the longitudinal bar U is moved so as to drive its front end beneath the bend in the litter and cause its front end to rise.

In operation when the lifter rises the hook is elevated so that its point will pass over the body of a companion hook, which is at that time pendent. The hook drops behind the catch K, and when tension is imparted to the train the hook draws forwardly on the catch and turns the pendent hook around its pivot so as to throw its lowerend rearwardly against the rear end of the opening in the bottom of the draw-head. To uncouple, the pendent hook must be turned, and the turning thereof causes its catch to turn down out of engagement with the hook proper of the other hook, and the latter then draws out of the drawhead. hen a car possessing this improved .coupling is to be connected to a car having the ordinary pin-and-link coupling, the link is passed into the draw-head D over the upper end of the pendent hook, and a pin is.

passed downwardly through a hole in the top of the draw-head, its lower end passing to the rear of the catch K, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 3. iceable and durable, and may be applied to cars as at present made at but a trifling additional expense.

The draw-head is preferably constructed with an incline Z at the top of its mouth, terminating in a shoulder Q just in front of the pin-hole, and when one of the hooks II is engaged over the catch K of the other it passes under the incline Z and shoulder Q in such manner that its dislocation is rendered impossible, no matter at what relative heights the two draw-heads may stand. When this incline is used and it becomes desirable to to uncouple the cars, the pendent hook must be turned to move its catch K to the rear and away from beneath the hook, which is en.- gaged therewith, whereas if the incline and shoulder are not used, the horizontal hook may be raised to effect the uncoupling of the cars.

In Fig. 6 is shown one of my improved draw-heads in front elevation, from which it will be seen that the sides of the draw-head are thickened and serve as bumpers. This is a function of which my invention is capable and susceptible by a slight modification in the construction of parts.

What is claimed as new is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and having a catch at its upper end, of a litter hinged at one end beneath the This improved coupling is very serv-- to the draw-head and its other end adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, a bar moving in guides beneath the hinge of said litter, and handles at the outer ends of said bar at each side of the car, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and having a catch at its upper end, of an L-shaped lifter hinged at one end to the draw-head and its other end adapted to pass' through the bottom thereof, a bar moving in guides in a plane beneath the hinge of said lifter, handles at the outer ends of said bar at each side of the car, a vertical rod mounted in eyes on the end of the car and having an operating-handle at its upper end and an elbow at its lower end, and a sleeve connected to said elbow and loosely engaging said bar, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and having a catch at its upper end, of an L-shaped lifter hinged at one end to the draw-head and its other end adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, a longitudinal bar moving in guides in a plane beneath the hinge of said lifter, and transverse ba'rsections having handles at their outer ends at the sides of the car, pivoted between their ends to the bottom of the car, and their inner ends loosely engaging a staple in said longitudinal bar, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and'having a catch at its upper end, of an L-shaped lifter hinged at one end to the draw-head and its other end adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, a longitudinal bar moving in guides in a plane beneath the hinge of said lifter, transverse barsections having handles at their outer ends at the sides of the ear, pivoted between their ends to the bottom of the car, and their inner ends loosely engaging a staple in said longitudinal bar, a vertical rod mounted in eyes on the end of the car and having an operatinghandle at its upper end and an elbow at its lower end, and a sleeve sliding on one of said sections and connected to said elbow, substantially as hereinbefore described.

I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE F. LONG. \Vitnesses:

T. T. MoRGAN, A. G. TILLINGHAST. 

